Carolyn Hax: Ask experts whether to call child services

7:46 PM,
Oct. 22, 2013

Written by

Carolyn Hax

Dear Carolyn: I live in a complex that has a lot of families in it, though it's just my husband and me. There are always kids playing outside. All of them are sweet and polite, and I love seeing them, but I rarely see parents.

This past weekend, I finally met one of the parents. I've seen as many as seven children on her porch, and I don't know how many live in her house, but I'd say at least three. She came outside with her boy, calling him names, cursing at him, and then he ran away to play with the other kids.

It didn't take long for me to realize she was completely wasted at 10 a.m. on a Saturday, with slurred ...